Linkage of flexibly joined two-piece links



Dec. 13, 1960 P. BERCHAN 2,963,852

LINKAGE OF FLEXIBLY JOINED TWO-PIECE LINKS Y Filed Oct. 18, 1957 INVENTOR.

. aul .Berchazz ATTORNEY LINKAGE F FLEXIBLY JOINED TWO-PIECE LINKS Paul Berchan, Forest Hills, N .Y., assignor, by direct and mesne assignments, to Morris Lamm,'Michael Campaiola,,and Paul Berchan, doing business as L.B.C. Watch Case and Jewelry Co., New York, N.Y.

Filed Oct. 18, 1957, Ser. No. 691,032

2 Claims. (Cl. 59-80) channel having,.in.. addition to the usual side flanges,

shallower end flanges interconnecting the side flanges and diverging from each other. These end flanges seat in blunted V notches in the lower edges of end walls of the rocker members. The rocker members have side walls, with the end walls extending above the side walls, then inwardly and then downwardly to the upper edges of the side walls, the upper edges of the end walls being rounded.

Between the reentrant portions of the rocker end walls, the rocker members have one or more openings receiving tabs extending downwardly from the four corners of the top sections. Each top section is essentially a semicylinder formed with diametrically opposite ledges along its side edges having the tabs extending therefrom. The tabs are Wedge shape, with the sloping edge outermost.

In assembling the bracelet, the bottom sections are arranged in end to end relation, and rocker members are set over the abutting end flanges of adjacent sections with the side fiangm of the bottom section engaging the end walls of the rocker members. The top sections, which have a width substantially equal to the lateral spacing of the reentrant end wall portions of the rocker members, are then set into the rocker members so that the pairs of tabs at the ends of adjacent top sections seat into the openings of the same rocker member. The side flanges of the bottom section are then formed over the end walls of the rocker members to engage the ledges of the top section, thus completing the assembly of the bracelet.

For an understanding of the invention principles, reference is made to the following descriptions of typical embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawing. In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is an inverted side elevation view of a flexible bracelet embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged partial top plan view of the bracelet, partly in section;

Figs. 4 and 5 are sectional views on the correspondingly numbered lines of Fig. 3;

Fig, 6 is a perspective view of a base section;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a top section;

Fig. 8 is a partial side elevation view of a top section, illustrating the shape of the tabs;

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of one form of rocker member;

Unimd States Patgnt Fig. 10 is .a perspective view of a modified form of rocker member; and

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of a modified form of top section.

Referring to the drawing, a flexible bracelet 12 embodying the invention is illustrated as comprising pivotally interconnected links 15; One or both ends'of bracelet end portions 24 on the bottom section 20. The shape of each bottom section is best seen in Figs. 1, 4, 5 and 6.

As best seen in Figs. 2, 3,4, 5', 7 and 8,'each top section 30 comprises a semi-cylindrical portion 31 having semi-circular end walls 32. A pair of diametrically opposite ledges 33 project radially from portion 31 and have a width of the order of the'thickness of side flanges 22 of base'section' 20. Eachfend of a ledge 33 has 'proj ecting therefrom a tab 35 whose inner edge issubs'tantially normal to the ledge and whose outer edge 34 is sloped as best seen-in Fig, 8. Thus, tabs 35 are substantially blunt wedge shape.

The rocker or hinge member 40 is illustrated more particularly in Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 9. Referring to these figures, member 40 comprises side flanges 41 extending along either side of a transverse web 42 intermediate the height of member 40, flanges 41 having concave lower edges. Side flanges 41 and web 42 are integral with end flanges or walls 43 which extend both above and below web 42. Above web 42, end walls 43 extend inwardly to form curved top walls 44 and then downwardly to form reentrant wall portions 46 joining web 42. For a purpose to be described web 42 is formed with a pair of slots 47 extending along the junctions of reentrant wall portions 46. Also, the dependent parts of end walls 43 are formed with downwardly opening blunt V notches 45.

In assembling bracelet 12, the bottom sections 20 may be arranged in end to end relation with their flanges projecting upwardly. Rocker members 40 are then set over each pair of abutting flanges 23 so that these flanges enter notches 45. The length of members 40 is substantially equal to the inside width of sections 20. Next, the top sections 30 are positioned in end to end relation with the tabs 35 of adjacent sections 30 entering the slots 47 in a rocker member 40. The assembly is completed by forming flanges 22 of sections 20 over end wall portions 44, 46 of members 40, as best seen in Fig. 5, so that the free edges of flanges 22 engage ledges 33 of sections 30.

The parts have suflicient play so that adjacent links 15 may pivot a limited amount about the rocker members 40 to give flexibility to bracelet 12.

Fig. 10 illustrates an alternative form of rocker member for use with the top link section of Fig. 11. Referring to Fig. 10, rocker member 40' has an opening 48 extending the full distance between reentrant end wall portions 46' so that ledge 42 is reduced to a pair of flanges 42'. In the embodiment of Fig. 11, section 30' has tabs 35 replaced by rectangular extensions 35' of end walls 32', extensions 35' engaging in openings 48 of rocker members 40.

While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the invention principles, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.

' plurality of hollow links; and a plurality of rocker members each hingedly interconnecting the opposed substantially abutting ends of a pair of adjacent links; each link comprisinga bottom section and a .top .section; each bottom section comprising a channelshaving a base and relatively wide side flanges with relatively. narrow end flanges at each end of said base extending between said side flanges, said end flanges diverging from each other; each top section being narrower than a bottom section and comprising a semi-cylindrical hollow body having coplanar ledges extending outwardly from each of its longitudinal edges and tab means comprising at least two tabs extending downwardlysubstantially normal to said ledges; each rocker member comprising side flanges ex tending transversely of the linkage and interconnected by end walls extending above the upper edges of said side flanges and curved inwardly and downwardly to form re-entrant wall portions extending toward said side flanges substantially parallel to said end walls and having aperture means comprising-at least one opening extending between said side'flanges along a re-entrant wall portion, the lower edges of said end walls having blunt V notches therein; the opposed end flanges of adjacent bottom sectionsseating in said notches to connect adjacent bottom sections by a rocker member overlying the ends of such bottom sections and each top section extending between the -re-entrant wall portions of the associated rocker ,members with the said tab means of adjacent top sections extending into said aperture means to connect adjacent top sections by a rocker member underlying the ends of such adjacent top sections, and the side flanges of each bottom section being formed contiguously around said curved end wall portions and re-entrant wall portions, with their ends abutting said ledges to lock the bottom sections to the top sections enclosing the rocker member; each rocker member including web extending between the upper edges of its side flanges and said aperture means comprising slots in said web extending along each re-entrant wall portion;'and each top section having its tab means projecting downwardly from the outer edge of each ledge adjacent the ends of the ledges, said tab means comprising two tabs at each end of each top section, the tabs at the adjacent ends of abutting top sections entering said slots; said ledges resting on said web.

2. A flexible bracelet as claimed in claim 1 in which said tabs are wedge shape and have downwardly and inwardly inclined outer edges.

References, Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS "main-ca 

